Goss Moor: Scrub Management for Habitat Recovery on Protected Land

Working to a Sensitive Method

The areas for clearance were marked by the Natural England Project Manager, and we worked to those locations and agreed boundaries.

The target species was mainly European gorse, with some willow, holly, bramble and blackthorn also removed where required. Western gorse, isolated birch, willow, mature hawthorn and other feature trees were retained for habitat structure, species value and visual diversity.

Before cutting started, the team had a detailed toolbox talk covering the site constraints, the species to retain, dormouse mitigation, burn locations, ground disturbance, conservation grazing cattle and the method for moving arisings.

Because Goss Moor is known dormouse habitat, the cutting height and disturbance controls were important. Material was cut at around 200mm above ground level rather than flush to the ground. This helped reduce the risk of disturbing dormice using low vegetation or nesting close to the base of scrub.

Live dormouse nests were found during the works, and one nest had to be carefully moved in line with the agreed approach. That immediately changed the feel of the job. It was not theoretical mitigation on a piece of paper — the species we were protecting were actually present in the working area.

Manual Clearance and Low-Disturbance Working

The clearance was carried out using chainsaws, Silky saws, brushcutters and hand tools.

This was the right approach for the site. Heavy machinery would have risked unnecessary ground disturbance, particularly around peaty soils and potential nesting areas. Working manually allowed the team to move more carefully through the scrub and respond to what they found on the ground.

We also established sacrificial drag routes for moving brash to the burn areas. That meant arisings could be moved without trampling repeatedly across the whole site. On a sensitive moorland site, reducing the footprint of the work is just as important as the clearance itself.

The Belted Galloway cattle used for conservation grazing were also present on site, so they had to be treated as a live health and safety consideration throughout the works.

Burning Arisings on Site

All arisings under 150mm diameter were burnt on site using raised burn tins. Larger material over 150mm was cut and stacked into habitat piles.

The burn locations were chosen carefully on higher, drier ground to avoid damaging wetter or peatier areas. Fire controls were in place throughout, including beaters, water bowsers, chosen burn positions, constant supervision and notification to fire control.

Controlled burning on a protected site needs to be handled properly. It is efficient, but only if it is managed carefully and kept away from areas where heat, ash or repeated trampling could damage the ground.

The habitat piles created from larger material were left in suitable areas to provide deadwood value for invertebrates, small mammals and other wildlife.